Plasma cells produce antibodies to fight off pathogens like bacteria... Mine are party animals with OCD. Reproducing and spewing the same useless antibody with a bit to much glee. The docs call it Myeloma.

Monday, March 24, 2008

First Cycle Response

Well I got my response indicators for my first GRN163L cycle (3 weeks) this afternoon. The serum indicators (which I believe are more reliable) all showed positive results. My urine free light chain protein expression was up slightly. I must have pissed just a bit too much :-).

For the more technically enthusiastic there was an 18% drop in my serum lambda FLC expression to 1448 mg/dL. My kappa FLC expression was actually quantifiable although still pathetically low at 0.72 mg/dL. My IgA and IgM antibodies went up slightly :-) and my IgG went down slightly :-(. I have an insignificant serum M-spike. I'll learn about the rest of the indicators after the second cycle in a couple weeks. I'm gonna run to Andalasia with that news and sleep a bit better for a while.

On another note... I was pleased to find everything on The 10 Best Foods You Aren't Eating list from the March Wild Divine Newsletter in my kitchen (and diet) except Purslane. Something to try by the sound of it:

Although the FDA classifies purslane as a broad-leaved weed, it's a popular vegetable and herb in many other countries, including China, Mexico, and Greece.

Why it's healthy: Purslane has the highest amount of heart-healthy omega-3 fats of any edible plant, according to researchers at the University of Texas at San Antonio. The scientists also report that this herb has 10 to 20 times more melatonin -- an antioxidant that may inhibit cancer growth -- than any other fruit or vegetable tested.

How to eat it: In a salad. Think of purslane as a great alternative or addition to lettuce: The leaves and stems are crisp, chewy, and succulent, and they have a mild lemony taste. Look for it at your local farmer's market, or Chinese or Mexican market. It's also available at some Whole Foods stores, as an individual leafy green or in premade salad mixes.

I am not an expert in your type of myeloma, but your report sounds very very good, LPC! :-) As for the best foods link, well, I had never heard of purslane (portulaca in Italian): absolutely fascinating. I will try to find some, and grow it in my garden. I also haven't eaten pumpkin seeds in quite a while, so I will resume doing that. Thanks for the reminder!Take care, and do keep us updated. :-)MargaretFlorence, Italy

Just thought of something else, reading the list on Wild Divine. I don't know how healthy dried prunes would be. Especially when heated up, as the website suggests. I recently discovered (wrote a post about it, actually) that a carcinogenic chemical that is normally found in heated starch-rich foods is also present in dried fruit. So, beware! Okay, I promise I will shut up now. :-)Margaret

Apollo 13, IgA, IgM and IgG are part of your immune system arsenal. Lookup Antibody on Wikipedia.org for a nice explanation. Often for reasons not clearly understood when monoclonal (cancerous) antibody expression goes up 'good' antibody expression is suppressed. I would like all my 'good' antibodies to go up significantly as I am way below normal baseline levels. As a twist I have light chain only expression (IgG Lambda) so I have no M-spike. No fully formed IgG antibody is expressed by my myeloma.

Hi LPCGreat news that your Lamba FLC has dropped. I was wondering if, when you are targetting cancer stem cells, if some things might get worse before they get better. This could explain the extra protein in your urine.Have you ever had an increase in IgA and IgM before? Mine went up on the last occasion too and, although some of my other markers were adverse, I think this could have been a very good sign.Anyway, well done. Fingers crossed for you.Paul